The 3.85 meter long Scirocco debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in the year 1974. It succeeded the Karmann Ghia – internally designated the Type 14 – that since 1966 had been popular for its design, proven Beetle technology and affordable prices. Like the Type 14, the Scirocco – developed under the code name EA398 – was created at Karmann in Osnabrück.

While the Karmann Ghia tended to appeal to women customers, the Scirocco, designed by Italdesign in Turin, appealed equally to female and male car drivers. With its clear, defined edges, wedge shape, low belt line and taut rear end, the design originated from the same form language that Giorgetto Giugiaro also favored for the first Golf.